Boscov memorial service moved to Santander Arena

A memorial service for Albert R. Boscov has been moved to Reading's Santander Arena to accommodate a large crowd.

The service for Boscov, head of the nation's largest family-owned department store chain and a notable philanthropist, will be held at 1 p.m. Feb. 26 in the Penn Street arena, which seats more than 8,000 for concerts. Doors will open to the public at noon. No tickets are required for admission.

Boscov died Feb. 10 at his Reading home. He was 87.

To accommodate the service, a Reading Royals hockey game against Greenville has been moved to 6 p.m. that day, the team said Wednesday. The game was originally schedule for 5 p.m.

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The Boscov memorial service had be planned for the Santander Performing Arts Center, a 1,700-seat auditorium on North Sixth Street. However, the service was moved to the bigger Santander Arena because of “an unbelievable outpouring of affection” by the public, vendors and store employees, said Jim Boscov, CEO of the Boscov's chain and Albert Boscov's nephew.

“We were concerned we'd have thousands of people, and we didn't want to turn anybody away,” Boscov said Wednesday. “The thought of turning anybody away is something not only we would hate, but Albert would hate, too.”

The service will be broadcast live on WFMZ-TV, Boscov said.

Albert Boscov opened his first full-service department store in 1962 in suburban Reading, growing his retail business into a chain of 45 stores in seven states. The chain employs more than 7,500 people.

Boscov had disclosed on Feb. 1 that he was suffering from late-stage cancer.

Aside from his business acumen, Boscov led several redevelopment projects in the city of Reading and stood as one of the most important philanthropic figures in Berks County.